Wild Plum (Prunus americana)

Form

Shrub or small tree; height usually 15 to 25 feet; maximum diameter 10 inches; trunk usually short and thorny; divides a short distance from the ground.

Bark

Thin, reddish-brown; broken into thin plates.

Leaf

Alternate; somewhat oval, long and narrow-pointed; double-toothed along edge; dark green above, paler below; length 2 to 5 inches, width about 2 inches.

Fruit

A drupe; 3/4 inch in diameter; outer skin orange-red when ripe, with yellowish, sweet flesh; flesh clings to seed; fruit ripens in late summer, and contains a single stone.

Range

Found generally scattered over the state in thickets, particularly along banks of streams; grows best on rich soil or in moist locations, though will grow elsewhere. Its hardiness also fits it for rather severe locations.

Wood

Strong, hard, close-grained; dark brown with light-colored sapwood; tree has no special commercial value other than for its fruit and wildlife value.